To frisk or not to frisk

[SandDragon]

When reboarding a Princess ship recently, my wife beeped as she went through the metal detector. The (male) security officer was holding a hand held detector and said to my wife "Would you rather I used my hands?"

 

I have never experienced this question before on a ship, nor has my wife. I have certainly never heard it before at an airport where I have far more experience.

 

Am I being prudish to think it inappropriate?

 

I mentioned the incident in one of those "Let us know" forms and said that if it was ship policy to give passengers a choice then perhaps this should be specified at the time and perhaps some gender sensitivity ought to be shown by stating a hand frisking would be done by a female security officer. I got no response so perhaps Princess thinks I am being prudish.

[cherylandtk]

Was there any reason for this security officer to think your wife may have a pacemaker? That would be an acceptable reason for him to suggest an alternative method of screening, but I suspect this is usually requested by the individual, not suggested by the screener.

[Holomoku]

I don't think you are being prudish at all, but did she finally get wanded? I would have called for the head of Security to explain the policy on that ship. I can't imagine them allowing opposite sex hand frisking. A badge does not give them all powers, maybe meglomania, but I am sure the Chief of Security would have sided with you and made them use the wand.

[Illyria]

When reboarding a Princess ship recently, my wife beeped as she went through the metal detector. The (male) security officer was holding a hand held detector and said to my wife "Would you rather I used my hands?"

Just from this description - is it possible that the security officer spoke broken English and really meant to ask if he should scan her with the hand-held detector? :eek:

[Cruiserkenn]

Yes, of course it was inappropriate. Glad the OP wrote it up.

 

I agree with the thought concerning a language problem. I am thinking this was an isolated incident, related to language.

 

Sorry to the OP.

[waltd]

My thought is if there was any concern by the screener and a pat down was required then it should have been a female that did it. I believe that is how it's done in the states. Lets just hope it was a language issue.

[triple7tahoe]

I have worked at the security check point in SF. If a male security person asked if a female wanted to be hand checked (with a positive response) he would have called the designated female security person. I do not see anything in the post that indicated he was going to do the hand checking. Am I missing something or are you looking to make something worse than it is?

[waltd]

I have worked at the security check point in SF. If a male security person asked if a female wanted to be hand checked (with a positive response) he would have called the designated female security person. I do not see anything in the post that indicated he was going to do the hand checking. Am I missing something or are you looking to make something worse than it is?

 

The OP post reads

 

Would you rather I used my hands?"

 

It sounds to me like he was going to do it.

[Colo Cruiser]

I don't think you are being prudish at all, but did she finally get wanded? I would have called for the head of Security to explain the policy on that ship. I can't imagine them allowing opposite sex hand frisking. A badge does not give them all powers, maybe meglomania, but I am sure the Chief of Security would have sided with you and made them use the wand.

 

 

What does a badge have to do with anything? They are not policemen. They are security guards.

I agree about requesting the Chief Security Officer.

[shredie]

I have worked at the security check point in SF. If a male security person asked if a female wanted to be hand checked (with a positive response) he would have called the designated female security person. I do not see anything in the post that indicated he was going to do the hand checking. Am I missing something or are you looking to make something worse than it is?

 

This isn't the TSA. A Princess security person asked a lady passenger if she wanted him to use his hands to frisk her. Sounds like something to me.

[NukeIT]

In my opinion you are jumping to conclusions on what may have happened and are alittle prudish.

 

People are so jumpy with sexual tension and political correctness these days. Just let the officer do his job and move on.

 

 

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[shredie]

In my opinion you are jumping to conclusions on what may have happened and are alittle prudish.

 

People are so jumpy with sexual tension and political correctness these days. Just let the officer do his job and move on. [/QUOTe]

Clearly you are not a lady. My guess is that no woman wants some strange man she doesn't know running his hands all over her body. How is basic modesty and human dignity "politically correct"?

Edited August 1, 2014 by shredie

[NukeIT]

"Officer"?

 

 

Typically they are referred to as "Security Officer"the term "Guard" is not used as much these days.

 

Was not implying that they are a "Sworn Duty Officer" such as your LEOs

 

 

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[KLLund]

I guarantee I would have been incensed and called for the head of security and then I would certainly have reported it to the Cruise line and the customer service on the ship.

 

I abhor strangers in positions of authority even touching me. It makes me feel demeaned somehow and I have actually ended up in tears at an airport.

 

I don't mind if you think I am a prude .. this to me is a very big deal.

[Ron the Rev]

Standard practice for body search using hands, is male to male, female to female. No ifs or buts. My dear wife is wheelchair bound and the degree of body search is always by hand pat, on one occasion recently she was asked to go into a booth away from public view for a search in this case there were 2 lady searchers there. Don't forget that in this day of lawyers and compensation, those doing the searching would lay themselves wide open for sexual harassment if they weren't ultra careful. I guess there is a training program for those employed this way.

[geoherb]

When we've beeped going through the metal detector, we've always been given the opportunity to remove something we forgot from our pockets and go back through. Perhaps it's because the beep reminds us of the item and we speak up first.

[SlyOldLady]

In my opinion you are jumping to conclusions on what may have happened and are alittle prudish.

 

People are so jumpy with sexual tension and political correctness these days. Just let the officer do his job and move on.

 

 

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I agree, maybe he was joking with little or no sence. Other parts of the world can be less correct and civilized than us...pun intended. My wife has needed a cigerette after security in many countries airport cues, she mearly laughs it off and moves along with the rest of her life, not thrusting her morality on the situation where she is the visitor.

 

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[SandDragon]

I also agree he was probably joking but I don't think that makes it appropriate.

[Colo Cruiser]

I also agree he was probably joking but I don't think that makes it appropriate.

 

 

I doubt that it was a joke, most take their jobs very seriously and he probably would have called a female guard if necessary.

Its all about interpretation. None of us were there and no reason to jump to conclusions.

 

 

The Security Officer is the main or "Chief" security officer onboard.

The guards are not security officers. (for what its worth).

[avcruz]

I'm going to agree with some of the previous posters and think that there was a language issue here and he went to use the hand wand. I can't imagine that the security officer wanted to pat her down any more than she wanted to receive the pat-down...

 

 

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[swedish weave]

Clearly you are not a lady. My guess is that no woman wants some strange man she doesn't know running his hands all over her body. How is basic modesty and human dignity "politically correct"?

 

The words "all over her body" indicates some odd ideas. I believe security would only check the area that caused the beep if that was what the person preferred.

[Cruiserkenn]

I'm going to agree with some of the previous posters and think that there was a language issue here and he went to use the hand wand. I can't imagine that the security officer wanted to pat her down any more than she wanted to receive the pat-down...

 

 

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Yes, well said. The Princess security people do a great job, and they are almost always considerate.

 

Again, sorry to the OP for this experience. For sure, it is not the norm.

[golfb4cruzing]

Its been a stretch, so I'll go with the pat down.:p

[Viesczy]

I agree with the posters who said about using of the hand wand. He was just trying to get the person out of his and everyone behind the buzzer's way.

 

People tend to flatter themselves too much.

 

Think about the job for a second; here's a guy making prolly $3 a month to enforce the rules/regs of the company, do you really think he's going to get his jollies off by rubbing up on any average cruiser?

 

If that was their mindset, they'd be working in the spa or the fitness center.

 

Derek

[triple7tahoe]

The OP post reads

 

Would you rather I used my hands?"

 

It sounds to me like he was going to do it.

I admit to not reading clearly as I see the "quote".

Security off the ship is not a Princess function. Neither are the folks that guide you to check in, take your luggage: All shore side functions are contracted. I believe that in the US, security is handled by members of the same union that handle the rest of the dock workers. Check in-boarding pass collection is handled by yet another contracted group.